42124 Off-Road Buggy [VIDEO REVIEW]

[Sariel]

Quite possibly the most fun and outdoorsy Technic set since the Supersonic RC. 

 

Edited December 15, 2020 by Sariel

[Brickend]

Thanks for the excellent review 

My only point of contention would be that the rear axle design seems appropriate to me, given this set is replicating the design of 80s/90s RC cars (Tamiya Grasshopper etc).

[JintaiZ]

Thanks for the review! I thought the set was a bit expensive at first, but now it seems absolutely worth it!!

[doughnut]

Thanks for the review! Finally they started making beams with holes in both planes - I hope there will be more of them

[jorgeopesi]

Thank you for the review. Those new crossbeams are the best piece in years, I will need less pieces for my MOCs increasing their efficience.

[Good old Lego builder]

Excellent review, as allways! ?

[Void_S]

I suppose the first modification could be a locked rear diff.
BTW, interesting how the new tires are grippy comparing with balloon ones.

[1974]

Total crap!

You can get a build-it-yourself Tamiya (PROPER!) RC car for the same price (like the Grasshopper!) that will run much faster, will take a beating and won't embarass you to boot

Why is TLG doing this? Asking kids to take LEGO outdoors is just going to blow up their CS department

Proper RC is cars is an adventure TLG is NEVER going to get a hold off. Complicated construction equipment with multiple pneumatic/actuator actions coupled with proper dedicated controls? Yup, I can see that happening. Keyword is "dedicated controls" though. While the old 12V and 9V (and now PF) are going quite strong (as can be seen by the second hand market) I very much doubt these app operated thingies will command a high price when you can't run the darn app anymore ...

Remind me in ten years

 

 

[Sariel]

1 hour ago, 1974 said:

Proper RC is cars is an adventure TLG is NEVER going to get a hold off.

I don't think they are trying to get a hold off it at all. LEGO sets and RC cars are two vastly different kinds of toys.

[heyitsdisty]

2 hours ago, 1974 said:

Total crap!

You can get a build-it-yourself Tamiya (PROPER!) RC car for the same price (like the Grasshopper!) that will run much faster, will take a beating and won't embarass you to boot

Why is TLG doing this? Asking kids to take LEGO outdoors is just going to blow up their CS department

Proper RC is cars is an adventure TLG is NEVER going to get a hold off. Complicated construction equipment with multiple pneumatic/actuator actions coupled with proper dedicated controls? Yup, I can see that happening. Keyword is "dedicated controls" though. While the old 12V and 9V (and now PF) are going quite strong (as can be seen by the second hand market) I very much doubt these app operated thingies will command a high price when you can't run the darn app anymore ...

Remind me in ten years

 

Completely missing the point.

This set isn't for RC hobbyists who want to build 'proper' RC cars and take them to race meets or whatever. This is for kids who just want to build a fun little car (with absolutely no tools required) and drive it around their living room. 

Arguably, it's overpriced, sure. But let me ask you this:

• Can you take a Tamiya kit and build whatever you want with it?
• Is your Tamiya kit's parts 100% compatible with your existing collection of Tamiya kit parts so you can modify it even further? (In other words, almost every part the company has produced since they started selling kits decades ago?)
• When you're bored of the new thing you've built, can you take it apart and build something completely different again?
• And when you're done making new things, can you put your Tamiya kit back together exactly as it was when you first built it?

Lego's smartphone controls going out of date is a complete non-issue. For the casual customers that this set is aimed at, they'll have moved on within 5 years, let alone ten. For the AFOLs who still care, there's still going to be plenty of free third-party app solutions out there to let you control your PU motors just fine; not to mention the official PU remote if you're really desperate.

Your arguments remind me a lot of the PC vs console video game debate. Yeah, consoles will never beat PCs in terms of performance, and they're regularly getting replaced each generation with new consoles to buy while PC gamers can just update their machines with new components. And yet, plenty of people seem to enjoy the simplicity of console gaming just fine...

 

 

 

[JunkstyleGio]

Good review!

It seems a way bettter base model to start to "power-up" our own models than the ones we had before!

Love the new alternating liftarms.(Love to see them in different lenghts) 

Spoiler

I won't start the discussion of who* was first with the alternating lifarms?

*TLG or the clone brands?

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by JunkstyleGio

[howitzer]

Nice review as always. There were few cuts which happened faster than I could read the text. No big deal though, as it's easy enough to jump back, but something to maybe consider with future videos?

Any chance on getting a comparison video with the Top Gear car? I understand it was pretty underwhelming in performance, but I'm curious on just how much...

[Erik Leppen]

Thanks for showing quite extensively how it drives. It seems pretty performant, given the limitations of Lego, and the suspension adds a nice extra for some light offroading. Yes - I can very much appreciate this set. I also like the striking colors. (I do agree on the black rear spoiler though.) Thanks for making the video :)

[Polarlicht]

I wonder why they have not let you review the 42120 and 42121???

[kbalage]

On 12/16/2020 at 6:54 PM, howitzer said:

Any chance on getting a comparison video with the Top Gear car? I understand it was pretty underwhelming in performance, but I'm curious on just how much...

You can take a look at a comparison here.

[Sariel]

2 hours ago, Coolusername said:

I wonder why they have not let you review the 42120 and 42121???

Because they're not coming out until later next year.

[howitzer]

12 hours ago, kbalage said:

You can take a look at a comparison here.

Thanks! I actually didn't know about the Top Gear car slow-start thing.

[astral brick]

On 12/16/2020 at 1:27 AM, heyitsdisty said:

Completely missing the point.

This set isn't for RC hobbyists who want to build 'proper' RC cars and take them to race meets or whatever. This is for kids who just want to build a fun little car (with absolutely no tools required) and drive it around their living room.

I am in agreement with you.

On 12/16/2020 at 1:27 AM, heyitsdisty said:

 

Arguably, it's overpriced, sure. But let me ask you this:

• Can you take a Tamiya kit and build whatever you want with it?

True. However I wonder how many customers, especially the younger ones, would actually take apart the model in order to build something else. Studless design is not helping for sure, being much more complicated that the classic one. This is a very underestimated issue about the Technic buyers' generational turnover. 

[kbalage]

1 minute ago, astral brick said:

True. However I wonder how many customers, especially the younger ones, would actually take apart the model in order to build something else. Studless design is not helping for sure, being much more complicated that the classic one. This is a very underestimated issue about the Technic buyers' generational turnover. 

Just look at the amount of alternate models available on Rebrickable for the different small- and mid-size studless Technic sets. I don't think that there's such a difference between studded and studless Technic, it does not limit creativity at all.

[Polarlicht]

11 hours ago, Sariel said:

Because they're not coming out until later next year.

Oh, didn't knew that! You mean like march?

[howitzer]

28 minutes ago, kbalage said:

Just look at the amount of alternate models available on Rebrickable for the different small- and mid-size studless Technic sets. I don't think that there's such a difference between studded and studless Technic, it does not limit creativity at all.

How many of those have been created by kids/teenagers?

Studless is much more difficult to build with than the old studful style, there's no argument about that. For AFOLs it's easy to dismiss the increased difficulty but making a good-looking, sturdy and functional build with limited parts is really hard. Adults generally have more skill, patience and perseverance than young builders so they are more often able to actually finish models properly. Now, one might ask why TLG switched to studless if it makes MOC building harder? The answer is simple: it allows for more complex, full-featured and better looking models, and it's still entirely possible to build MOCs with studless - just not as easy. This might actually work as advantage for TLG, as kids will keep the models assembled longer, wanting new sets instead of taking the old ones apart to build something else. So TLG can get somewhat increased sales while staying true to the basic concept of a toy that can be taken apart and reassembled in almost infinite number of ways.

IMO the recent trend of a lot of increasing licensed sets with more and more cars in the lineup and the decline of B-models speaks also of this: the sets are mostly intended to be placed on display, instead of being taken apart soon to build something else.

[astral brick]

5 hours ago, kbalage said:

Just look at the amount of alternate models available on Rebrickable for the different small- and mid-size studless Technic sets. I don't think that there's such a difference between studded and studless Technic, it does not limit creativity at all.

In my opinion the transition from System to Technic is harder than in the past due to studless beams, not to mention the amount of their angles. Thinking about that, it is no accident that every review is praising the new liftarms with perpendicular holes, considering this innovation a game changer.

Besides, the more realistic the set - like this one, which is difficult to identify as made of Lego - the fewer the chances that the buyer will take it apart.